Owner and veterinary surgeon perspectives on the roles of veterinary nurses and receptionists in relation to small animal preventive healthcare consultations in the United Kingdom

Zoe Belshaw,Marnie Louise Brennan,Natalie Jane Robinson,Rachel Sarah Dean

doi:10.1136/vr.104773

Abstract

Veterinary receptionists and veterinary nurses rarely feature in published practice-based research, yet are integral to small animal veterinary practice in the UK. The aim of this study was to investigate...

Highlights

Veterinary nurses and receptionists working in small animal practice are seldom the primary subject of peer-reviewed research
They were termed “support staff”. 1 Kinnison and others 2 advocate the use of the term “inter-professional practice” when describing their role within a veterinary team, reflecting their importance as true partners in delivering care
During July and August 2016, data were gathered through telephone interviews with dog and/or cat owners and small animal veterinary surgeons based in the United Kingdom (UK)

Summary

Introduction

Veterinary nurses and receptionists working in small animal practice are seldom the primary subject of peer-reviewed research. Alongside traditional roles in health, wellbeing and as guardians of animal welfare 6, veterinary nurses have a range of responsibilities These include performing consultations 7 and minor surgeries 2, running educational interventions 8 and providing complex inpatient care. 15 Some veterinary practices may employ other staff under a range of titles who share some of the client-facing nursing responsibilities described above without the same training or regulatory accountability. Veterinary receptionists are not required to have any formal training and are not regulated They have an incredibly important and responsible role as gatekeepers of the veterinary practice and as the hub of practice communication. They have an incredibly important and responsible role as gatekeepers of the veterinary practice and as the hub of practice communication. 3 They are central to the customer experience, providing information and steering the client through their interactions with the practice. Increasingly, their roles and responsibilities are becoming broader, an example being provision of advice on preventative medicine protocols. For these reasons, the role of a veterinary receptionist appears challenging, and there is a risk that they could become scapegoats for mistakes in communication if expectations about their knowledge do not reflect their training or experience. 3

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